Sir, – Kathy Sheridan argues against single-use coffee cups on the basis that although they are compostable, they still require enormous resources of land and water (“We’re arguing over coffee cups while the world burns”, Opinion & Analysis, July 20th).
Surely the same argument could be made for print newspapers and magazines?
I wonder how many people actually read every single page and paragraph of their daily newspaper before they throw it away, hopefully in the green bin.
Ironically in the last budget, print newspapers became VAT exempt, something that print magazines are looking for. On that basis, shouldn’t disposable coffee cups also be VAT exempt?
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The so-called “latte levy” is unlikely to reduce the number of disposable coffee cups, nor is it going to cause the job losses that the panicky Irish Paper Packaging Circularity Alliance claims.
The reason is that many coffee vendors offer you a 20 cent discount if you use a reusable cup. So if you use a disposable cup, your coffee price already includes a 20 cent levy.
When the so-called “latte levy” is introduced, the 20 cent discount for a reusable cup flips to a 20 cent surcharge for a disposable cup, but the price you pay at the till remains the same.
But at least the Green Party can feel smug and self-righteous at another useless gesture toward saving the planet. – Yours, etc,
JASON FITZHARRIS,
Swords,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – As a reusable cup holder for years, I feel hard done by for not receiving a discount for every time I use it. I also feel that a levy of a euro on each single-use cup would certainly focus minds – nothing less! – Yours, etc,
EILEEN BANNAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – The vast majority of disposable coffee cups are used in garages and shops which use self-service coffee machines.
Very often, these coffee machines do not allow a person to use their own keep-cup, as keep-cups tend to be taller than the coffee machines can accept, forcing those of us with a keep-cup to use the disposable cup and add to the mountains of waste.
Coffee machines need to be changed to allow them accept taller keep-cups, which will help reduce waste and also cost for the vendor.
If the law needs to be changed at EU level to force coffee machine manufacturers to make their machines keep-cup compliant then the Minister needs to get on the case.
A 20 cent levy will not reduce the demand for disposable coffee cups – it will just increase tax revenue and seems merely to be a sop to pretend something is being done.
Modify the machines. It will ultimately be more effective. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.
Sir, – I agree wholeheartedly with Kathy Sheridan about the folly of still using single-use coffee cups while the planet burns.
So we can applaud the 50 businesses in Killarney that have signed up to become completely free of these cups.
It’s estimated this will remove over a million cups from the beautiful town!
If you forget your keep-cup, you can purchase a reusable one for €2, refundable when returned. More of this please! – Yours, etc,
HILARY CARR,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – To all our European counterparts currently sizzling on the continent, don’t worry because Ireland is taking action on the matter by introducing a coffee-cup levy.
Here’s to cooler summers from next year. – Yours, etc,
SIMON BALL,
Dublin 1.